Apparatus for finishing innersoles.



\ PATENTBD PEB. 5, 1907.

G. B. ROLLINS. APPARATUS EUR PINISHING, INNERSOLES.

vA'PFLIOATION FILED APR. Z4, 1906.

y UNITED STATES APPARATUS Fen Fumer-Ime iNNiilsotiasfv To dll whom 7115v may concern:-`

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. ROMANS, a

\ citizen of the United States, residing at Brockton, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetta have invented an Improvement in'V Apparatus for Finishing Innersole's, of 'which the following description, in 'conf nectioii Withrthe accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on' the drawings.

representing like parts.

My invention relates to innersoles, and

vmore particularly to reinforced innersoles, in'

which a stitch-receiving rib projects from one sideofthe innersole and is strengthened ,The hammers or feed by a layer of fabric cementedltliereto, although certain features o'f my machine are of advantage in nshin aiidforrning various' other kindszof innersolges.

`Referring how more `particiilarly to the -kind of reinforced innersoles above inentioned, my invention Will be better `under stood by lirst explaining that, as commonly practiced, the reinforcing fabricjonsisting of so-called rubber-coated?y 'canvas,` orhof 4canvas having one sidecoated Withcement) is'fir'st treateso as to bbrought into the proper condition for application to the body of the innersoleand is then a plied thereto as aiiat strip of canvas, Whic is .thereupon pinched or formed around the stitch-receiving rib by means of 'a machine provided With site hammers or reciprocating feedtaneously at the o posite sides 4of the rib, progressing along t e length. of the rib until they have traveled around 'the innersole. I points reciprocate rapidly, bending the fabric down on the op.- posite sides of the rib and forcibly pressing the fabric intermittingly against theinnersole at l the `base of the stitch-receiving rib. In the ycase of cement-coveredfabric the treating to which I have 'referred consists .in rstcoating the abricwith naphtha-rubber cement and then Waiting for the naphtha' to evaporate, whereupon the partially dry yand stiii'ened fabric isapplied tothe innersole by the pro` gressive pounding and punching action of the machine abovementioned, and in the case ofcoated fabric the treating consists of moistening the coating either by' steamer hot Waterland applying it directly to the 1n-y nersole-fby the same poundingand punching process explained. ln either case the fabric left free to 'loosen between successive Speciiication of Letters Patent.

[rplication med April 24, i906` serial No. 313.438.

Punching Operations and .is tablet distorted and displaced as ,the pun'ehing'uand l pounding operation progresses'lgfand falso 'fas the fabric is put-vin place by-aj series ofsudden downward pulls therib of contain leather is apt to be rolled'over orin'iprbprly. ent-at its top edge, and also the fab'ricfis'iifrtli'er-` more prevented from adhering jto 'the up yer portion and sides of the containedfleat `er rib by the included air Which'holds' it more or less out of 'contact With the vles'tther,thegeneral result being that the fabricis either left quite loose about the stitch-re'ceivingrib or becomes readily loose afterward, especially during the sewing process,an:d ,the1 featheredge is apt to be curled up inbre'oij less Ithe, cementing and pounding 'action explained;

The` latter disadvantage is quite seriousfinits eiiec't on the sewing, as it interferesliwithflo- 'eating the stitches alonga line `asfne`a i" to ,the4

base ofthe stitch-receiving ribasfthey hould be and also interferes With the lastingo'pera'# tion, as itcleaves a curleidp-upvedgel-t'fbe caught and'moved in the wrong'dil-epnby the edge of the vamp as thelatter isfpuflled over the last, which will causeJiniperfect Work, all as Will be morsfullyexplai l'later'f.`

Accordingly my present 1 inyention resides in providing means for securing alnulnber of advantages, viz: First, I operate upon the lfabric by a pressing movement yas. distinguished from an intermittent'fpunching or pounding movement ,p and I fp ifessflpi'jogressively along the stitch-receiving jrib, at the-iopposite sides thereof, whereby,"Ieachlfpressed and secured portion of the innersolei is held immovably in position as' the next lsiibceeding port-ion of the fabric is being pressedintoffinal position. in the second place., I simultaneously secure the fabric to the 'opposite lsides ol the contained-leather rib and kat-fthe same, time straighten and press `slaidribfinto true upright position, thereby preventing said rib from being rolled'or bentover `at its'upper thin edge and likewise `causing vperfectadhesion of the fabric to every'portion ofthe entire surfaceof the rib.- ,ln the thirdplalce, 'I-

mold .the outer edgey or featherf'ledge 'of the.` inner sole doWnWa-rdly and also.,lprei'erably, the

. inner portion next to tlieinner -sidegloffythe stitch-receiving rib doWni\`rardly-,-` thereby soy the lirst attempt to provideaneans'forjform- IOC IIC

ing or shaping a reinforced innersole to conform to the last as it should prior to the lastand further advantages and the operationV thereof will be pointed out more at length in the course of the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which I have shown one embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows in side elevation a preferred form of machine. Fig. 2

vis an enlarged vertical longitudinal sect-ional view of certain details of the head. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a kportion of the head.

Fig. Aflis an enlarged sectional view of a portion of an innersole, showing the molding and forming portions of my machine in operation. Fig. 5 is an illustrative cross-sectional view of an innersole. Fig. 6 is a similar sectional View showing how the stitchreceiving rib has been liable to be improperly formed heretofore. Fig. 7 is a fragmentaryT cross-sectional view of an innersole-body before the reinforcing fabric has been applied.

I have herein illustrated a simple form of apparatus which I have found very practical, and therefore prefer to use.

Mounted in a suitable standard 1 of any convenient shape or construction I provide a shaft 2, having at its free end a knurled feedroll 3 and at its opposite end a gear 4, driven by a pinion 5 and belt-wheel 6. Above the shaft2 is an arm 7, pivoted at 8 in the frame ofthe machine and held against lateral movement by a guide 9, but free to be raised on its pivot S'by a rod 10 and lever 11, pivoted at 12 and operated by a foot-treadle 13 and link 14. The arm 7 is normally held downwardly 'by a spring 15 and limited in its downward movement by a stop 16. At its outer end Athe arm 7 has a socket-piece 17, in which is adjustably mounted a post 18, provided with two plungers or vertical journals 19 20, shown in the machine of the patent as held yieldingly downward by springs 21 22 and yieldingly toward each other by a spring 23. At their lower ends the journals 19 2O are provided, respectively, With rolls 24 25,. which are maintained hot by any suitable heating means, as by a coil or-steam pipe 26, adapted to be connected at its free ends 27 28 to any source of steam-supply.

The rolls 3, 24, and 25 are of special shape for carrying out my invention, and I can best describe the 4construction and functions of these parts by referring to Fig. 4. Let it be Supposed thatl my invention is to be applied tdwhat is commonly known as the gem sfiaeas innersole, in which a leather body 29 is provided with a vertical rib 3() and a usual feather-edge 31, to which is. to be secured a strip of properly coated and prepared fabric 32. As heretofore applied the fabricwould be simply laid on top of the innersole-body 29, resting on the top edges of the stitch-receiving rib 30, and then the punches or feedpoints 33 34 would be driven simultaneously downward and inward, pounding the fabric forward into the corners at the base of the rib 30, tending to bend over the top edge of the leather, as indicated at 35, Fig. 6. .l-Iaving descended and delivered one blow against the corners aforesaid, the feed points or punches were caused to rise, the innersole meanwhile having been fed forward one step, and then said feed-points 33 34 were caused to descend again. This operation was repeated rapidly throughout the entire length of the rib or circumferential extent of tlie inne'rsole. Not only was the top of the rib liable to be bent over and pulled down upon itself, as shown in Fig. 6, but between the successive hammering or punching operations the fabric was liable to become loose, inasmuch as-it was pressed down for an instant only at one small point and then released; also, this sudden punching movement resulted in gradually bending upwardly the feather-edge, as shown in Fig. 6 in dotted lines, and when the pounding operation came around to the'opposite side of the innersole it tended strongly to pull away the fabric still more from the previously-pounded portion of the stitch-receiving rib, as clearly shown in Fig. 5. My machine obviates all Ythese objections simply by performing the operation with a pressing as distinguished from a pounding movement and continuing said pressure unremittingly throughout the entire extent of the securing operation. The feed-roll 3 is provided with a somewhat sharp and short bevel 36 at its outer edge, and preferably a slight and longer bevel 37 at its opposite portion. The roll 25 is provided with a bevel 3S, corresponding substantially to the bevel 36 and cooperating. therewith to bend downwardly to form or shapethe featheredge 31 simultaneously with the securing of the fabric on the innersole, the result being that all tendency of the feather-edge 31 to be pulledor curled upwardlyby the fabric-securing operation is eliminated and the innersole is permanently shaped to conform to the last for the lasting operation. The roll 24 has at its end adjacent the rib 30 a slight bevel 39, and also, preferably, a still slighter bevel A-10 at its opposite end, and the adjacent or free ends 41 L12 of the rolls 24 25 stand approximately parallel to each other and to the stitch-receiving rib 30. The result is that as the feed-roll 3 forces the innersole forward the reinforcing fabric is simultaneously pressed against the innersole-body at the IOO IlO

very corners formed by the rib 30 and the, body-of the linnersoleand along the lateral` surface of thebody of the linnersole extending from the' base of the rib, and also is pressed against the-.opposite sides of the rib 30, 'and the latter is compelled to assume a truly erect position as the fabric is 'pressed and ironed flat and firmly against the same. For thebest results the rolls 24 25, as I have' stated, are maintained hot, so that as the slow unremitting lpressing movement progresses the parts are molded and permanently set in their desired ultimate positions or formation. The ooperating beveled sur-l faces 36 .38 press downwardly the feather edge 31 of the innersole and at the same time permanently cement or secure the fabric in said position, and the bevel 39'of the roll 24 molds-or depresses the innersole at the opposite or inner side of the stitch-receiving. rib 30. The result is that Wh'enthe needle of the sewing-machine approaches the rib 30, usually from the outside, there is no interference therewithk on the part of the lateral edge 31, but said edge is down out of the way, thereby permitting the point of the needle to enter the stitch-receiving edge atv the very edge or bottom corner thereof; also, inasmuchas the roll 24 has pressed,` held, and

-ironed the fabric `into the very corner at the inner side of the rib until said fabric hasbeen thoroughly united to the leather above in a` vertical plane and in a horizontal plane there is no liability of the fabric'being pushed f away from the rib by the needle as the latterpierces the stitchfreceiving rib. f' S( ),'likewi`se, when-.theshoe is v-lasted the innersole being already permanently 'molded by havingl its outer edges bent downwardly; or dish-shaped is entirelyiout of' the way ofthe vamp `whenthe latter 'is pulled tightly up bver `the edge of the last,'and therefore cannot catch andjbe rolled or roughened upwardly and inwardly,- as is apt to be the case when the 'innersole is left more or less curled iup in its previous method of manufactureby pounding, as 'eX- plained. I regard this molding feature of my invention as of considerable importance in general use, whether employed in connection with securing reinforcing fabric or not, and it will also be understood that for various purposes I am not limited to three rolls or pressingdevicesand that, as-already stated, many changes and substitutions may be resorted to -without departing from the :spirit and scope of my invention in its broader aspects.

Patent, :is-

. rib.

nevingdeeeribed my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters 1. A machine for innersoles,

comprising means for supporting the innersole, andv means operating in opposition thereto, having pressing-surfaces parallel to each other and spaced apart to receive the stitch-receiving rib of the innersole between them'to apply a continuous and progressive pressureto the reinforcing fabric on the 'opposite sides of said rib and simultaneously to the body'of the innersole at the base of said rib.

2, A machine for finishing ,innersoles, comprising a support for an innersole, a pair of yielding pressure devices having parallel sides extending perpendicularly to said support for yieldin ly pressing the reinforcing fabric against t e stitch-receiving rib of the innersole along the opposite sides of said rib and transmitting continuous pressure progressively thereto, heating means for maintaining said pair of pressure devices hot, and yielding means for maintaining said suppo't and said heated pressure devices continuously pressed toward each other in pressing engagement with the opposite parallelsides `of said ribfromv the base of thev rib tothe top edge thereof, and also in pressingengagement with the fabric and body of the innersole laterally from the base of said 3. A' machiney for finishing innersoles,

comprising a positivelydriven work-support,

anda pair of heated pressure-rolls opposite said worlosupport, heating means for said rolls, yielding means for' maintaining the saidrolls undernormal pressure toward each other, and yielding means for maintai said ---rolls under continuous pressure towar said rotary work-support, -said rolls and work-support being constructed and arranged to feed the innersole and maintain unremitting progressive pressure on the reinforcing fabric against the opposite sides of the stitch-receiving rib and simultane- Yo'usly against the body of the innersole at the opposite sides of the base of said rib.

' In testimony whereof I have signed my name vto this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.'

GEORGE E. ROLLINS.

Witnesses:Y

GEo. H. MAXWELL, WM. J. PIKE.

IOO 

